Welcome!

Hi, My name is Alexis. Welcome to Spools & Skeins! I’ve created this blog as a space to share my love of all things homemade, handmade, and in general my obsession with all sorts of crafter deliciousness out there.

The inspiration for this blog came while I was working in my previous job: miserable, unmotivated, and uninspired. And every day reminding myself that ONE DAY I would be able to start a blog, write about all things crafter-related, share my projects, photography, and words with blogger-land and perhaps even inspire a few readers here and there. All wonderful aspirations, in my opinion, but difficult to realize when you’re working on Wall Street, have fairly hectic and stressful days, and MAY or may not have already gotten called out by your boss for perusing Ravelry online instead of perusing my client list with trade ideas. So, my blog plans were in a holding pattern. And yet, thinking of all the hours I could be pouring into my blog, surrounding myself with all sorts of crafter-goodness, made the drudgery of my workweek a touch more bearable.

Then I got fired. And spent a solid week in front of the TV watching re-runs of Grey’s Anatomy. And ate a lot of ice cream out of the carton. Which was great for getting over the short-term shock of unemployment, but really, did nothing except apply a short term band-aid for a long term problem. Which is never the way you wanna go. So, I got motivated. Started taking Spanish classes. Attempted to de-clutter and reorganize my apartment (unsuccessfully, I might add – which is really a much longer blog post.) Got my butt to the gym a few times. Started eating quinoa. And felt like I had this whole unemployment thing down pat.

But after a few weeks, I somehow ended right back on the sofa. And I didn’t get it. Why, when I hated my old job so much, was I not more motivated, not more excited for all this free time?! And while it was comfortable and easy to blame my newly pregnant state (and the joys of the first trimester) on my lethargy, I realized it was something more. Going from working non-stop to suddenly having all this free time is overwhelming. Going from wearing a mask every day at work (I was a salesperson in my former job – a smiley face and positive attitude were prerequisites of the job – which themselves are good things, but when forced, can feel like absolute torture.) Going from fake-smile-alexis to real-authentic-alexis sounds like pure pleasure, but can be a bit strange as well. Takes a bit of getting used to. Like putting on a super comfy outfit that just FEELS like you, but you’re not sure you’re ready to share with the world yet.

And then, one day I realized that my not-chosen-but-not-unwelcome new unemployed status has been a blessing in disguise. Aside from the obvious of freeing me of a job I loathed, I now finally had the time and platform to embark on this long awaited journey into blog-land. Here I can be myself, share what I love, lose the plastic smile, and just share who I am. So, here I am, in my most raw, non-sugar-coated state. Finding ways to nurture my soul that don’t involve receiving (or spending) a paycheck, opening myself up to inspiration wherever I may find it, living my life out loud (and now online), and finding comfort and motivation in all things handmade.

That said, I may be unemployed, but I’ve got a yarn and fabric stash the size of a small garage – providing enough inspiration (and materials) for some serious damage on the knitting and sewing front.

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Hi, I’m Alexis. Welcome to Spools & Skeins! I’ve created this blog as a space to share my love of all things homemade. I’m a newly married, recently unemployed knitter/sewer/amateur photographer with a wee babe and a ridiculous stash of yarn and fabric - and a camera permanently fixed to my hip documenting it all...